Few things announce the holiday season like the poinsettia. Native to Mexico, poinsettias come in more than 100 varieties, and a host of colors, including red, white, pink, marbled and spectacled.
In this issue, the San Diego landscape professionals with Juniper Landscape Company will give you tips for selecting a healthy poinsettia and how to provide the proper care for it to last long after the holidays.
Are poinsettias poisonous to humans? No, but they can be dangerous for dogs and cats. It’s difficult to pinpoint the urban legend of poinsettias being poisonous to humans.
While a child may experience nausea from eating a poinsettia’s leaves, that’s about as dangerous as the plant gets. Even at that, the child would have to consume nearly 500 poinsettia leaves before the effect was felt.
That’s highly unlikely, though. Even though poinsettias are absolutely stunning in appearance, their taste is reportedly very unpleasant.
First, look at the health of the leaves – which are actually bracts. On healthy poinsettias, the yellow buds in the center of the plant will still appear tight and not yet open.
The poinsettia’s soil should be damp – not soaking or completely dry.
Because they are native to tropical locales, poinsettias do best in similar environments. With the right care, you could enjoy your poinsettia far longer than the holiday season.
A good rule of thumb is to lightly mist your poinsettia daily.
Beginning in late March, you can prune the poinsettia down to roughly eight inches in height. While it may look bare, rest assured your plant should produce new growth along its stem.
When June rolls around, your Poinsettia is ready to be transplanted to a larger container. Be sure to use an organic-based soil mix.
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Remember, the winter months are an ideal time for landscaping projects, including installing a fence, a water or fire feature; preparing the soil for a springtime garden; topping walkways and driveways with pavers and flagstone, and more.
For more information on how to transform your landscaping, give us a call here at Juniper Landscape Company.
Our number is 619-334-9464 or you can reach us via email.